Rabbula Gospels

Syriac ms. (now Florence, Bibl. Mediceo-Laurenziana, Pluteus I,56) containing
the four Gospels, preceded by an important set of illuminations (f. 1r–14v).
A colophon (f. 292r–v) provides the name of the scribe, Rabbula (who is
otherwise unknown), and of those who contributed to the production of the
ms. (the miniaturists are not named), as well as the date (Febr. 586) and
the place of origin: the Monastery of Beth Mar Yuḥanon of Beth Zagba. This
monastery, no longer in existence, was probably situated in the Djebel Riḥa,
some 50 km. north of Apamea, in Syria
(see Mundell Mango 1983).

While this ms. ranks among the earliest dated mss. of the Four Gospels (see
Bible, NT manuscripts, under 3), it is even more
famous for its illuminations. It opens with three full-page illuminations
(f. 1r–2r): the selection of Matthias, the Virgin and Child (of the Hodegetria type), and standing figures of Ammonius of
Alexandria and Eusebius of Ceasarea. F. 2v–3r show the text, written inside two nicely
decorated frames, of Eusebius’s ‘Letter to Carpianus’ concerning the use of
the Eusebian ‘canons’, i.e., synoptic tables listing the parallel passages in
the four Gospels. The canons themselves follow on f. 3v–12v. They are
integrated in architectural structures, in which the lists of text
references are separated by pillars. These are roofed with arches, on top of
which a variety of birds and plants are depicted. The canons are followed by
four more full-page illuminations (f. 13r–14v): the Crucifixion with
Resurrection, the Ascension, Christ enthroned and approached by four men
(two of them holding each a book and two others following behind their
brothers and supporting them), and Pentecost. The text of the Gospels itself
(f. 20–291) does not contain any further illuminations.

The disposition and decoration of the Eusebian canons are of a common type,
found in both the East and West. Their further elaboration, however, with
additional themes and motifs, reveals the specific Syriac context of this
ms. Folios 3v–9r have in the upper register (to the right and left of the
arches) OT figures, accompanied by their names in Esṭrangela script: Aaron,
Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, Solomon, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah,
Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Job, Isaiah, Habakkuk, Haggai, Zechariah, Jeremiah,
Ezekiel, Daniel, Malachi, and Elisha. In the middle register (to the right
and left halfway of the outer pillars) NT scenes are depicted, while the
right and left corners at the bottom are mostly filled with animals and
plants. Some of the representations, such as the scenes of Christ’s Nativity
and Baptism (with fire coming out of the water) and the impressive
compositions of the Crucifixion (with Christ wearing the purple kolobion) and the Resurrection (with Christ appearing
to the two Maries) reflect their Syriac context and are reminiscent of Ephrem’s
hymns and other Syriac writings.

The ms. in all likelihood originated in a Syr. Orth. environment and
subsequently came into the possession of the Maronites. For at least two
centuries it was housed in the Maronite Monastery of Qannubin, in Lebanon,
before it was transferred to the Florentine library in the 16th cent.

There has been much discussion among scholars about the question of whether
the quire with the illuminations (f. 1–14) and the main part containing the
Gospel texts originally belonged together. While D. H. Wright in 1973, after
personal inspection of the ms., reached the conclusion that the
illuminations were indeed part of the codex that was created in 586, the
recent study by P. G. Borbone and A. Mengozzi (in Bernabò, 2008) has
challenged this widely held view. They point to a Garshuni note on
f. 11v (written between the pillars of the canons) which records a
significant (judging from the size and formal character of the note)
donation by two priests to the Monastery of Qannubin in 1460/61. The object
of the donation is described in the note as al-dast
al-kabīr ‘the great dast’. S. E. Assemani,
in his first description of the ms. (1742) understood the term dast to mean ‘copper vessel’, while Borbone and
Mengozzi argue that it means ‘fascicle, quire’, and see in it a reference to
the impressive gathering of illuminations which, according to their view,
would have been joined to the Gospel text only in the 15th cent. This
interpretation, which has not yet encountered general support (see Mundell
Mango, in Bernabò 2008, 113–14), does not imply that the illuminations are
of a very late date. On the contrary, the early date of most of the
illuminations (probably 6th cent.) should not be questioned and is supported
by the Syriac script found on these folios. We would be dealing then with
the re-use of an early quire of illuminations that had become disconnected
from its original manuscript.

Even while this and other questions continue to exist, the codex is one of
the most precious illuminated mss. of the ancient world. Sharing so many
characteristics with late-ancient and early Byzantine art, it also reflects
the very refined local culture that existed in the leading Syriac
monasteries. In recent years the illuminations have not only been studied
intensively, they also have served as a source of inspiration for modern
sacred art, especially in contemporary wall paintings in Maron., Syr. Orth.,
and Syr. Catholic churches.